Fire extinguisher



Aug. 19 1924.

L. H. STEPHENSON FIRE EXTINGUISHE'R Filed Aug. 20 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

L. H. STEPHENSON Aug. 19 1924.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed Aug. 20 1921 2 ShaQtE -Sheet 2 &\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ A TTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 19, 1924.

UNITED STATES LOWELL n. surnrnnnson, or ornvnraivn, on o;

FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

Application filed August 20, 1921. Serial No. 493,913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOWELL H. STEPHEN soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and '5 State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Fire Extinguisher, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to portable fire eX tinguishers of the type in which the body portion is grasped in the hand of the operator while the liquid is being discharged therefrom. 3 Theobject of the invention is to provide simple and efiicient means for delivering a continuous stream of fluid without action on the part of the operator, other than that re-:

quired to set the mechanism in operation.

Another object is to provide easily and quickly actuated means for releasing the fluid expelling means. I

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown, described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents a central vertical section of a fire extinguisher constructed in accordance with thisinvention, parts being broken out for convenience in illustration.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof, taken on the line 2.2 of Fig. 1. c

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing another form of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section 'of the form shown inFig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the form shown in Figs. 3 and 4t.

y In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 a cylindrical casing or shell 1 is shown, closed at its ends by cup-shaped cylinder heads 2 and 3, the upper or rear head 2 being preferably connected by a bayonet joint connection, in a manner similar tot-hat shown in Fig. 3. The casing 1 may be composed of any suitable material, such as brass, copper or aluminum or other metals or metallic compounds not eifected by the chemicals within the casing. j

The character of the chemicals stored in the casing naturally have a bearing upon the character of the material employed in the construction.

The lower cylinder head 3 is fixedly mounted on the cylinder 1 by sweating or otherwise and is provided with a centrally disposed discharge nozzle 4, equipped with the usual handleor grip 5, which is operable for controlling the passage through the IIOZ". zle of the fluidemployedas an extinguisher. Thishead 3 is also provided with a filling opening equipped with a suitable'threaded plug 6. x i

The upper orrear cylinder head 2 has a central opening surrounded by a collar 7 T which forms a guide for a threaded rod 8 which extends into the cylinder and is designed for a purpose presently to be described. p f

Another collar encircled opening 9 is formed inthe head2, at one sidesof the collar 7, through which is e'Xtendeda-rod 10, the portion located in the opening 9 being cylindrical, but'the remainder thereof being ovate in cross section, as shownat 11 in Fig. 2, the object of which will present'- ly be described. Q

A double cup-shaped piston 20 fits snugly withinthe cylinder 1 and is designed when projected *tol' force out the extinguishing fluid, whichiscontained in the cylinder in advance of said piston. i I" This double cup-shaped piston 20 is car ried by a U-shaped frame '21, the cross bar of which is connected with the piston in any suitable manner, being hereshown detachably connected therewith by means of a bolt 22. On the upper end of the U-shaped frame 21 is mounted a split nut 23, which has normally threaded engagement with the rod 8, the members 24 and'25 of said nut being adapted to be opened laterally to dis-K engagethe nut'from the rod 8 when desired. A spring 26 operates to hold the nut members 2th and 25 'yieldably engaged with the rod 8 and said members have laterally extending arms. 27 and 28, between which is mounted the ovate portionof the rod 10, as is shown clearly in Fig. 2. vWhen the'nut 23 is engaged with the rod 8' the flat or ovate shaped rod 10 is in the position shown in Fig. 2, that is with the shortest diameter arranged between the arms 27 and 28, so that when this rod is turned to bring the longest diameter thereof engaged with these arms,,the members of the not will be" separated and thereby release the rod 8 from the nut, permitting the nut to slide, on said rod for a purpose'presently to be described. I A coiled spring 29 is mounted in the casing 1 between the rear face of the piston 20 and the cylinder head 2, and exerts its tension to project the piston 20, as is shown in Fig. 1.

This spring 29 tapers toward its front end, so that when it is compressed the coils will fit one within the other and thus occupy a minimum amount of space within the cylinder.

The outer or rear ends of the rods 8 and 10 have means for connection therewith of an operating handle for turning them, it being obvious that when the rod 8 is turned in one direction that the nuts 23 engaged therewith will be moved rearwardly, carrying with it the piston 20, thus compressing the coiled spring 29 and holding the piston 20 in retracted position ready for use in discharging the fluid, which is inserted in the cylinder in advance of said piston, the

been inserted in the cylinder in advance of the piston, when it, is desired to eject the fluid, the valve 4 is opened by turning the grip member 5 and then the spring 29 isreleased by turning the rod 10 to bring the longest diameter of the ovate portion thereof in engagement with theopposed arms 27 and 28 of the split nut 23, thereby opening said nut and disengaging it from the rod 8, which permits the nut tomove forward under the action of the spring 29 and also the piston 20 which forces out the fluid in advance thereof through the nozzle 4 and discharges it in a spray at the point desired.

After the cylinder 1 has been emptied the rod 10 is turned to again engage. the nut 23 with the rod 8, and said rod 8 is rotated to retract the piston into normal position ready to receive in advance thereof the fluid to be used in the next operation of the extinguisher.

' From the above description it will be obvious that the engagement of the nut with the rod 8 will operate to hold the piston 20 in retracted position so that the fluid cannot be expelled until the rod 10 is turned to release the nut 23 from the rod 8.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 3, at and 5 the cylinder 1 is similar to that shown in the other figures, except, that the head 2 has mounted thereon a chamber 30, in which is mounted a drum 31 sup ported on the shaft 31*, having its ends journalled in the opposed side walls of the chamber 30 (see Fig. 5). This chamber, be-

sides serving as a housing for the drum,

' acts as a base for the extinguisher. One of the journals of the shaft 31 extends through one of the side walls of the chamber and by the windlass is held against turning in I one direction and permitted to rotate in the opposite direction. A finger grip 35 1s carried by the pawl for releasing it when desired. A piston 20 similar to the piston 20 of the other figures is mounted within the casing l and has an eye bolt 36 extending centrally therethrough, with the eye of which is engaged a cable 37, the other end of said cable passing up through an opening in the head 2 of the casing and being.

connected with the windlass 31, so that when said windlass is rotated in one direction the cable will be wound up thereon and thereby retract the piston 20 into normal inoperative position. 1

A coiled spring 29, similar to the spring 29 of the other figures, is mounted in the casing 1? between the piston 20 and the head member 2 and exerts its tension to project the piston 20*, it being of course un derstood, that when the piston is retracted by the winding up of the cable 37 on the windlass 31, that this spring will be com pressed and be held in compressed position by the engagement of the pawl 33 with the ratchet 32. j v

From the above description it will be obvious that when the piston 29 is in retracted position as above described, and it is desired to release it for expelling the fluid which is contained in the cylinder 1 in advance of the piston 20*, all that is necessary is to open the valve 4 and then disengage the pawl 33 from the ratchet 32 by means of the finger grip 35. Immediately this pawl is released the spring 29 will expand and forcibly project the piston 20*, at the sametime unwinding the cable 37 from the windlass 31. This projection of thepiston 20? operates to force out the fluid from the casing through the nozzle and to spray it onto the object which may be desired. 1 To place the device again in condition for use the cable is wound up on the windlass 31 by means of a suitable handle (not shown) which is engaged with the outer end of the journal which projects through the side of the chamber 30 after it has been wound sufficiently to position the piston'at the extreme inward or rearward limit of its movement, the pawl 33 is again engaged with the ratchet 32 and the piston thus locked in position. After so locking the piston the plug 6 is removed and the extinguishing fluid inserted in the casing and said plug replaced and the device will be ready for use.

It will thus be seen that the liquid is discharged from the container automatically, the discharge mechanism being normally locked in inoperative position and being re leased only when it is desired to use the ex forth in the specification, but it will be un-- derstood that any modifications within the scope of the claimed invention may be made in the construction without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What I claim is:

A fire extinguisher comprising, a cylindrical casing, a fixed cover upon one end, a nozzle in said cover, a removable cover upon the other end, means to provide a chamber formed upon the outer side of said removable cover, a revoluble shaft transversely of said chamber and having its ends mounted in said means, one end of said shaft extending outwardly ofsaid means, a drum mount- 3 ed on said shaft within said chamber, a ratchet mounted on the projecting end of said shaft, a spring pressed pawlcarried by said means and engaging said ratchet, a piston head within said casing, flexible means connected to said head and winding on said drum for normally maintaining the head in proximity to said removable cover,

and expansible means interposed between the head and removable cover for projecting the said head forward.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature hereto.

LOWELL H. STEPHENSON. 

